Metallic railway-tie and rail-fastening.



A. F. BROWN.

METALLIC RAILWAY TIE AND RAIL FASTENING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. I917.

Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

Pelfillllhl l lllillilltlll lr AUGUSTUS FREEBORN BROWN, 0]? HAVRE DE GRACE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOB. TO MARY- LAND METAL CROSS TIE (70., OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

METALLIC BAILWAY TIE AND RAIL-FASTENING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 115, 191%.

Application filed May 24, 1917. Serial No. 170,703.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUoUsTUs llnnneonix' Brown, a citizen of the United States, residing at Havre de Grace, in the county of Harford and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Railway-Ties and Railiiastenings, of which the following a specification.

My invention relates to a metallic railway tie and rail fastening and the invention consists, essentially, of a metal railway tie having on the upper surface near each end a suitable seat for a ail or rails, said tie being, also, integrally formed below the sides of each rail seat, with a plurality oi? vertically-disposed spaced boxes which are disposed in substantially a staggered relation, said boxes being closed on all sides except the top and bottom and having opposite interior walls fashioned sinuous or with alternate projections and depressions whereby a serpentine channel is formed for the reception of the spikes which secure the rails to the tie.

My invention also consists of the parts and the constructions, arrangements and combinations of parts which I will herein.- after describe and claim.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification and in which similar reference characters indicate like parts in the several views;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a railway tie embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional. view on the line 2- -2 of Fig. 1.

To meet the requirements of constantly increasing traflic, heavier locomotives, cars, etc, it has been necessary for the railroads to install heavier rails, stronger bridges, better ballast, etc. At least, a portion of the increased weight of the rail has been due to the limitations imposed by the use of the wooden tie, the strength of which has not and cannot be increased, or the spacing between the same decreased. Since the life of a wooden tie is constantly becoming shorter due to inferior woods and increased traliic, heavier locomotives, etc, with the in creasing cost of the same, it is becoming gen erally realized that the m al tie is the ar itable substitute,

Prior patents have heretofore been granted me for a metallic tie and fastening ot' the general type herein shown and accordingly the present invention relates to an improvement of such a tie as I have shown.

for example, in my prior Patent No. 1,ll5,l6i',

dated October 2'7, 191%, the present improve ment having particularly in view the use oi? such a tie as above described for dit'erent size rails and providing fordiiterent gages of track as lwill hereinafter :Iplaiu.

Referring to the drawing, A represents a railway tie formed entirely oi metal and which may be made of a single casting. Specifically, the tie consists of a base flange, (in, of suitable width, the bottom of. which may, if desired, be formed with transverse ribs, a which serve to reinforce the portion of the tie beneath the rail seats and also insure the stability and safety of the tie in the roadbed. The tie may also be formed with a flange, 7), which, when the tie is in position, extends perpendicularly to the base flange and rises from the center thereof and extends from end to end oil? said base flange. For the sake ol lightness and at the same time to give added strengtl'i to the tie, the vertical flange, 1)., thereof may be formed witl'r openings, 6, at the ends and intermediate portions as well known in the art.

The upper surface oil? the vertical flange. Z), near each end of the tie, is widened transversely by casting or otherwise forming this portion of the tie with a horizontal flange. cl, which extends for a suitable distance along the longitudinal side oi the flange to form a seat and support 6 for the usual railway rail. At the outer side of the rail seat. 6, the vertical flange oi? the tie is also formed integrally with a vertical shoulder, 7, against which abuts the outer edge of the horizontal flange of the rail and by which lateral outward spreading oi? the rail is prevented.

If desired, the central portion of the rail seat, 0 may be formed with openings, 9, and the vertical flange of the tie beneath said seat may be formed with an opening, it, but this construction is optional and forms no essential part of mv present invention.

A leading feature of the present improvement is in casting or otherwise integrally forming the tie with a plurality of vertical boxes, 0, located at each side of and vertically below each rail seat, said boxes being closed on all sides except the top and bottom and the vertical flange of the tie at this point being slightly thickened or flared transversely to enable the boxes to be satisfactorily formed in the relatively thin edgewise standing flange, Z), of the tie.

As in my aforesaid prior patent the interior of each box 0 is cast or otherwise formed with two opposite walls, 0, which are made substantially sinuous or with alternate curved projections and depressions.

Each of the boxes forms a spike receiving recess of substantially serpentine form into which the ordinary and substantially straight railway spike is designed to be driven and to be distorted through the driving operation whereby the spike is made to substantially conform to the wavy outline of the walls of the box against which the spike is forced as it is driven into place. The sinuous-walls of the boxes therefore, give a corresponding wavy form to the inserted spike, which greatly adds to the security with which the spike is held. These sinuous walls also have the function of again straightening the spike when the same is withdrawn.

It will be observed that at each side of the rail seat, a plurality of the aforesaid boxes are provided and the boxes at each of the sides of said seat are substantially staggered relatively to each other. In other words, the boxes at each side of the seat are transversely out of line with the axis of the tie and consequently the distance between corresponding boxes at opposite sides of the seat will be less than the distance between other similar corresponding boxes and in this lies the essential feature of the present improvement. The purpose of the arrangement just described is that it enables me to use three different size rails and to obtain three different gages of track with one rail insulated or not as desired, on the same tie, without the necessity of any additional part, or requiring the use of any shim or so called dutchman, and hence I am able to provide for about seven different conditions with the tie, if desired or required.

The arrangement provides a double locking means in addition to the use of three different size rails and the obtaining 'of two or more different width of gages on the same tie, and hence the improved tie will meet the various conditions required by the railroads without increasing the cost of production of the tie and will enable said tie to be used on railroads of a standard or narrow gage without requiring theuse of shims or additional elements.

Having thus described my invention what- I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: V

1. A metallic railway-tie having a vertical flange formed with a rail seat near the end and a. plurality of seriesof spike-receiving boxes, the boxes of each series being at opposite sides of the rail seat and the cor responding boxes of one series being spaced a less distance apart than the boxes of another series, to accommodate different sizes of rails and to provide different gages of track, said boxes having opposed sinuous inner walls, adapted to distort a spike forcibly driven into the boxes, whereby the spike is made to substantially conform to said walls.

2. A metallic railway tie having a vertical flange extending longitudinally thereof, said flange being formed integrally near the end with a widened rail seat and a pinrality of spike-receiving boxes, said boxes at each side of the rail seat being substantially staggered, or laterally ofiset whereby the distances between corresponding boxes at the opposite sides of the rail seat are different, to accommodate different sizes of rails and to provide different gages of track, said boxes having opposed interior walls of substantially sinuous form adapted to distort normally substantially straight spikes when the latter are forcibly driven into the boxes while in engagement with said walls.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUSTUS FREEBORN BROWN.

Witnesses MALVA BALL, GECELIA M. FAHEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. I 

